Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination of cervical and thoracic spine disabilities, requiring further medical evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for all twelve claimed conditions, finding that the appellant did not have a radiation-exposed veteran status and there was no objective evidence of actual exposure to ionizing radiation during her military service.

The veteran is seeking service connection for back and neck conditions that are secondary to his service-connected myositis of the right shoulder. The Board has ordered remand due to the need for additional VA medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to additional evidence and argument received from the veteran.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, or arthritis of the left shoulder. The claims for these conditions are denied as they were not incurred in service and there is no evidence linking them to service.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current spinal conditions to his military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain and fibromyalgia syndrome as secondary to the veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative changes of the cervical and lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, a cervical spine disorder, and headaches. However, additional development is needed before these claims can be decided.

The Board found no evidence of the claimed conditions during or within one year after service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of hyper-pigmented lesions on the legs, and the lumbar spine disability was rated as severe but not pronounced intervertebral disc syndrome without incapacitating episodes. The thoracic spine fracture residuals were rated at 10 percent, and cervical spine degenerative disc disease did not meet criteria for higher evaluations.

The Board denied service connection for cervical, thoracic and sacral spine conditions. It also denied increased ratings for the lumbar spine disability.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected cervical spine disorder is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of new regulations regarding spinal disabilities.

The Board found no competent medical evidence directly linking a current cervical spine disability to service-connected right hearing loss, mastoiditis with headaches, and positional vertigo. The veteran's claim for secondary service connection was denied.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for back disability. The case is REMANDED to the RO for further action, including scheduling an examination of the veteran's back and neck, considering the reopened claim on its merits, and returning the case if necessary.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability, increased evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities, and an initial evaluation higher than 10 percent for traumatic arthritis of the left knee. The RO granted service connection for traumatic arthritis of the left knee with limitation of motion but assigned a 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to consider separate evaluations for the veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability and cervical spine disability, including application of both old and revised criteria.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and review of his medical records, including those from active duty.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including psychiatric, left ankle, left foot, right foot, low back, and neck conditions. The claim of service connection for a hernia was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, while the claim of service connection for hypertension was reopened based on new evidence showing current hypertension in active military service.